Israel accepts ceasefire deal, Hamas stays silent

Israel has agreed to a comprehensive ceasefire deal that will put an end to its air strikes, according to an Israeli official – but Hamas has yet to comment on its position.

Reports from various media in the UK and Israel, including Reuters and the BBC, confirmed that Israel was ready to go through with the deal, after holding negotiations in Egypt. The ceasefire is set to begin on Friday morning at 6am local time (3am UK time).

But Hamas leaders have not officially commented, with some reports suggesting it has rejected the deal.

A temporary truce between the two sides began this morning and expired today at 3pm local time (1pm UK). At 3pm, the IDF tweeted: “Hamas doesn’t waste time. A rocket fired from Gaza hit Ashkelon.”

Meanwhile, the IDF prevented an overnight attack on Israeli soil on Wednesday night, when 13 Palestinians infiltrated Israel through a tunnel from the south of the Gaza strip. Eight were killed, while the rest escaped.

Since the attacks broke out almost 10 days ago, 227 Palestinians have died in Israeli air strikes. One Israeli was killed by a rocket launched from Gaza.